Steely McBeam
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- Mar 20, 2019
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The Steelers held their pre-draft press conference on Monday and one of the messages sent by General Manager Kevin Colbert was that the team wouldn’t be taking certain positions off the board because they signed free agents that play them last month.
Wide receiver Donte Moncrief, cornerback Steven Nelson and linebacker/safety Mark Barron were all signed to fill needs on the team’s roster, but Colbert said that the team may still address all of those areas in the draft. Having those veterans on hand does make any needs at those spots feel “less urgent” by allowing rookies to develop at a slower pace.
“You really want to go in with these players and delay them getting onto the field as long as you can,” Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Over time, I think coach would get comfortable with what they can do, but to have them step out and play, it’s detrimental to the player. If they lose confidence early, it’s usually not returnable.”
The Steelers have four picks in the first three rounds and 10 overall picks at their disposal, which gives them a lot of capital to use on filling out the roster at any pace they want.